Could high bride prices be fueling global terrorism, conflict and instability? Yes, say two academics in a new article published in MIT Press Journals. And they say the US should wake up and address it.

Hezbollah organized a rare trip for international journalists so it could boast victories on the Lebanon-Syria border in the fight against extremist militants — and to send a message to the American president.

Lebanon has the world's largest per-capita concentration of refugees. When Syrian activists planned a demonstration in Beirut to “defend the rights of Syrians in Lebanon,” the authorities slapped a ban on protesting across the board.

Three of every four terror attacks last year took place in Iraq, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Somalia, Turkey, Nigeria, Yemen or Syria, according to the latest data from the Global Terrorism Database.

More than 1 million Syrian refugees live in Lebanon, and about 10,000 die each year. The vast majority of them are Sunni Muslims, whose faith prohibits cremation. In a country about one-third of the size of Belgium, burial space has become a pressing issue. One Syrian is doing his part to help.

Hashish growers in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley have built up big arsenals to fight off the country's army. Now the drug lords say they're ready to turn their weapons against Islamic militants spilling over the border from Syria.

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06/28/2015 - 3:30pm

It's reminiscent of a black-and-white pirate flag and, for some, it conjures up similar feelings of death, destruction, outlaws and violence. Here is our quick explanation of the symbolism of the flag and the meaning of its Arabic phrases.

Updated

05/08/2015 - 1:30pm

Taco al pastor, the classic Mexican street food that’s popular in the US, has roots in a surprising place: the Middle East. Thanks to immigrants from the former Ottoman Empire, the classic street dish of shawarma morphed into the beloved taco of today.

When Steven Sotloff's friends discovered he was being held captive by ISIS militants, they set out to hide any reference to the fact that he was Jewish and a dual American-Israeli citizen — and succeeded.